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Face Off
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FACE/OFF
Two of today's hottest male stars go at it in this thriller directed by action maven John Woo. John Travolta plays a relentless FBI agent who must go to extraordinary measures to find the location of a ticking biological weapon -- he must transform himself, surgically, into the likeness of his arch-rival, played by Nicolas Cage. The real kicks start when Cage turns the tables and becomes the FBI man. This one is not only an exciting adventure, its great grist for postmodern movie critics, who will just go to town with the "doubling up" of this film' images.

Director: John Woo. Stars: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 140 min.), Thriller, 1997, Box office gross: $111.425 million, (Paramount 330553), Priced for rental, Available: 11/11
4 stars go
back




FREE WILLY III: THE RESCUE
The second sequel in the saga of a boy and his whale surfaces in the Pacific Northwest with the return of now-17-year-old Jesse and his environmental mentor Randolph to investigate the mysterious decline in the local Orca population. Whale hunters are causing the trouble, and its up to the humans, and Willy the giant Orca, who now has a mate, to change hunters into friends. This one tries to fire a harpoon right into your heart, but it's not up to the snuff of the other whale tales. Best part of the film: The birth of Orca's child.

Director: Sam Pillsbury. Stars: Jason James Richter, August Schellenberg. CC, (MPAA rating: PG, 86 min.), Family, 1997, Box office gross: $3.418 million, (Warner 14895), $22.96 SRP, Available: 11/11
2 stars go
back




GONE FISHIN'
Really dumb comedy about a fishing trip that goes awry, involving two diehard goofballs who get caught up with stolen goods. Joe Pesci and Danny Glover star in this lackluster attempt at bringing the slapstick comedy of another era into modern times. Pesci and Glover play two blue collar guys who live to fish -- and who bumble their way from one slapstick disaster to another, both in and out of the water. On their way to a fishing vacation in Florida the pair lose their car to a sinister thief and get in dutch with two ladies (Rosanna Arquette, Lynn Whitfield) hot on his trail. From there on out it's mishap and misadventure - though the filmmakers should be advised that sight gags that end up in mayhem don't necessarily make a comedy tick. This film comfortably gets the honor of being the stupidest movie of the year.

Director: Christopher Cain. Stars: Joe Pesci, Danny Glover, Rosanna Arquette, Lynn Whitfield. CC, (MPAA rating: PG, 94 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $18.281 million, (Hollywood 9179), Priced for rental, Available: 11/11
1 stars go
back




Lost World photo LOST WORLD, THE: JURASSIC PARK
The much-touted sequel to the biggest grossing film of all time has lots of scares and thrills but it's not up to the original. This sequel sports incredible effects for sheer dazzling monster movie thrills, but don't look for great acting or an involving story line: It's strictly the humans versus the mean tyrannosaurs despite any pretensions otherwise. Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough return in their roles from the first film, here to send an expedition to visually record the remaining denizens of the ruined prehistoric park. Simultaneously, a hunting party is sent in to capture some of the beasts for "commercial exploitation." Oops! Available in pan-and-scan and widescreen versions.

Director: Steven Spielberg. Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 124 min.), Action, 1997, Box office gross: $229.000 million, (Universal 83098), $22.98 SRP, Available: 11/4
3 stars go
back




LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!
This is the widescreen version of Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning play about a circle of eight gay male friends and their three weekends of rest and relaxation together (during Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays) in the country. The brainy and witty story line and talented cast depict the fun and foibles, loves and hates, fears and courage of the diverse lot as they encounter each other in close quarters (a Victorian house ensconced on a sunny lakeside setting). Highlights of the octet are Jason Alexander as an on-the-surface happy Broadway musical buff and John Glover as a pompous and sour composer. However, the translation from stage to screen -- which relies a bit too much on stationary talking heads -- leaves something to be desired.

Director: Joe Mantello. Stars: Jason Alexander, John Glover, Stephen Spinella. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 120 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $2.921 million, (New Line 4598), Priced for rental, Available: 11/18
2 stars go
back




Men in Black
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MEN IN BLACK
The year's number one hit is an off-the wall story about a secret, highly funded unofficial government agency -- an intergalactic immigration service, if you will -- whose job it is to monitor the hundreds of aliens from outer space who reside on and travel to the Earth. In this wild black comedy, Men in Black Agents K and J (Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith) -- dressed in black, with Ray-Ban shades, and aided by outrageous weapons (including the neuralyzer, which erases the memory of anyone who comes in contact with aliens) -- are hot on the trail of the "bug," a nasty alien who wants to destroy the world. Can they save the Earth in time for a sequel? Available in both pan-and-scan and widescreen versions.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld. Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $243.000 million, (Columbia TriStar 82453), $22.95 SRP, Available: 11/25
5 stars go
back




PREFONTAINE
From the director and producer of "Hoop Dreams" comes the inspiring true story of charismatic Steve Prefontaine, who burst on the long-distance running scene in the late 1960s and went on to represent the United States at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Nicknamed the "James Dean of track" he defied the rules, challenged the limits and smashed records to become the nation's best runner. He was brash, handsome, ambitious. And he was a sports activist at a time when athlete were still being exploited by powerful sports organizations. Stars Jared Leto and Ed Neil.

Director: Steve James. Stars: Jared Leto, R. Lee Ermey, Ed O'Neill, Amy Locane. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min.), Biodrama, 1997, Box office gross: $0.584 million, (Hollywood 10437), Priced for rental, Available: 11/18
2 stars go
back




RHYME & REASON
This is a moving snap-shot of the state of contemporary urban life, a documentary about the hip-hop culture that is slang and style, attitude and dream, code of ethics and raw expression. Hip-hop has rarely been seen from the inside: this film changes that. It's a tour of hip-hop past, present and future, a shifting multi layered mix of rhythms and voices, featuring artists and musicians known and unknown: Busta Rhymes, Pharcyde, Heavy D, Salt-N-Pepa, Biz Markie, LBC Crew, MC Eiht, Guru, Ras Kass and Crew, NAS, LL Cool J, Dr. Dre and about 70 others.

Director: Peter Spirer. Stars: . CC, (MPAA rating: R, 93 min.), Documentary, 1997, Box office gross: $1.591 million, (Miramax 10646), Priced for rental, Available: 11/18
3 stars go
back




ROMY & MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION
On first blush this is the movie for every one who was ever rebuffed or ridiculed in high school: two attractive best friends and party girls (Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow) reinvent themselves as successful businesswomen to impress their former classmates at their 10-year high school reunion. The daffy blondes -- who live for fashion -- are foiled by another former classmate (Janeane Garofalo) who spills the beans -- but the lithesome twosome still get the last laugh. A gentle comedy with a premise that deserved a bigger payoff.

Director: David Mirkin. Stars: Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 92 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $28.905 million, (Touchstone 10438), Priced for rental, Available: 11/4
3 stars go
back




TRIAL AND ERROR
Jeff Daniels stars as a legal eagle who becomes a lame duck when an all-night bachelor party incapacitates him and he can't show up in court to defend a con-man. His best friend, an out-of-work actor (Michael Richards), steps into a small-town court pretending he's the attorney, turning the courtroom into a three-ring circus. Unfortunately, this comedy of errors and identity deception tries to pull one over on the viewer but just doesn't succeed. Charlize Theron plays the love interest for Daniels' still-idealistic lawyer.

Director: Jonathan Lynn. Stars: Michael Richards, Jeff Daniels, Charlize Theron, Rip Torn. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $13.600 million, (New Line 4597), Priced for rental, Available: 11/18
2 stars go
back




TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES N.M.
A surprisingly well-made gangsters-on-the-run saga directed by Kiefer Sutherland and starring Sutherland, Vincent Gallo, Mykelti Williamson, Kevin Pollack and Martin Sheen. Although it's typical of the genre -- gang of young toughs attempts a drug rip-off; the heist goes wrong; cops get killed; gang goes on the lam, taking hostages and ending up getting caught in the crossfire between the FBI and the Mafia in the modern day wild West-- the film is raised above the mundane by the solid acting and an involving script that attempts to delve below the surface of the criminal mind. Lots of violence and gore.

Director: Kiefer Sutherland. Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Vincent Gallo, Mykelti Williamson, Kevin Pollack, Martin Sheen. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 101 min.), Thriller, 1997, Box office gross: $0.054 million, (Columbia TriStar 82693), Priced for rental, Available: 11/4
3 stars go
back





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October 10, 1997